2 
species of Italian, or rather Venetian, in which, 
however the details only thinly disguise the 
mam forai3 characteristic of the former two. 
In every case the sun is courted. The windows 
in the domestic styles are large where it is 
possible the characteristic mullion and transom 
being omitted, and the line of the prominent 
and ( lofty gabled roof isjbroken by dormers which 
admit light to rooms formed in its space. 
Even in the attempts at Italian villas, not a 
little of this spirit is displayed, what is termed 
the mansard roof, affording a back ground for a 
like display. In both cases economy may not 
less than taste, form a motive for the employ- 
ment of such features. As to verandahs, except 
for porches, or under very peculiar circum- 
stances, they are seldom employed. In fact 
they would be a nuisance. Of late years, much 
effort has been made to avail of the productions 
of localities in giving local character to this kind 
of building, and the infinite variety of 
manner in which common and colored bricks ! 
have been used, show both the industry of the 
rising school of architects and the direction to | 
which their labors tend — that to which our j 
enquiries should also lead — the improvement of 
the architecture of dwellings, and their identifi- 
cation with the country and climate in which 
they are built. 
But looking to our original conditions, we 
shall find that these distinctive features are not 
only not required here, but are positively op- 
posed to our local circumstances. Large 
windows are large discomforts. The glare of 
our summer sun renders shade not merely a 
luxury, but a necessity. Booms in a roof are 
but reservoirs of heated air, — -and verandahs are 
indispensable. For let it be remembered that 
with us it is not a hot atmosphere, but a hot 
suu which is ho hard to bear ; shade and cool- 
ness are almost synonymous terms. Hence 
whatever may be the style or modifications of 
style in the details we adopt, the distinctive 
main featuies of the home architecture are not 
consonant with our principal object, and there- 
fore not with correct principle. Undoubtedly [ 
the Venetian Italian, with little modification, | 
would form a graceful and admirable style fur j 
our purposes ; but then it is costly, and involves 
a kind of labor which we have not. It is with 
the employment of ordinary materials for 
common uses that we have to deal, and upon 
them this paper professes to treat. 
When we lay down as a fundamental rule 
that space is a primary condition, we do so 
because without it we cannot secure that easy 
circulation of air which, with us, is a necessity. 
Every room should, if possible, have two of its 
sides external and easy of access to the atmos- 
phere ; the huddling of apartments on the 
English model, in a square box form, is the 
worst possible arrangement that can be adopted, 
carried to its climax in that detestable terrace 
s^g cm wlucli ought to be forbidden by muni- 
cipal enactment. For comfort and equally for 
health in this climate, every divelling-house 
should be detatched. How far the present 
system of cutting land into trumpery little 
allotments will obstruct proper arrangements 
in house building in this respect, it may be 
hard to say. We may indeed find consolation 
in the knowledge that its prevalence must be 
limited by local causes to a very short duration. 
Spaciousness of site being attainable — and it 
seems absurd that in this country of all others, 
such a requisite should not be in the reach of 
every one — we next come to size of rooms. A 
distinction must here be drawn between living 
rooms and bedrooms, — the former being occupied 
intermittently, the latter continuously during 
the hours of sleep. It follows that if regard be 
had to purity of atmosphere, bedrooms should 
be larger in proportion to the number of occu- 
pants than sitting-rooms. Following the best 
known authorities on this subject, it would 
seem that a bedroom for a single occupant 
should not be of less size than to contain 1200 
cubic feet of air. A room 12 feet, long by 10 
broad, and 10 feet high, would fulfil such a 
condition. A living room, used in the ordinary 
manuer by four persons, should not contain less 
than 2400 cubic feet. A room 18 feet by 
13 wide, and 10 feet high, would be not un- 
graceful in proportion, and satisfactory as 
| regards space. A very moderate deduction 
I from such sizes is a very moderate deduction 
from the means of preserving health. An 
j increase on these sizes would tend to increase 
of enjoyment. 
The size of apartments being graduated by 
the numbers expected to occupy them, I am 
afraid that little prospective economy may be an- 
! ticipated by the fathers of large families from the 
application of the principles herein laid down ; 
but it may be replied that real economy would 
be better consulted by healthy large rooms than 
by close and badly arranged apartments — conse- 
quent ill health, doctors, and doctors’ bills. And 
alter all, the additional cost involved could be 
much smaller than is generally supposed. In 
another paper I propose supplying some details 
on this point which may perhaps relieve the 
scruples of those who rather than not build at 
all, would build badly, and^repent their haste 
when it was too late to mend. 
But for the present to return to my subject ; 
— next to space comes disposition, of which the 
first point is the aspect of the several rooms to 
the points of the compass. Generally speaking 
it is desirable that bedrooms should front 
towards the east. The morning sun is an ad- 
vantage to all but the sluggard ; and as the 
direct sun’s rays cease to beat at an early period 
of the day upon rooms having such an aspect, 
there is time for the apartment to cool by night 
time. The luxury in summer time of escaping 
from the heated atmosphere of an ordinary 
living room to the pure cool air of a bedroom of 
